1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to extruder nozzles, and, more particularly, to an extruder nozzle suitable for use in producing a relatively wide flat ribbon of extruded material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many different devices for extruding plastic and other materials are known to the extruder art. For example, one such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,217,627, which teaches a die having a substantially rectangular-shaped orifice for forming the dough used in making spaghetti into threads or ribbons. In the die shown therein, abutments or baffles are included in the fluid channels in the die for diverting the flow of the fluid to be extruded at points adjacent to the center of the die to a greater extent than at points remote from the center of the die in order to insure that the fluid is delivered to all parts of the die at a uniform pressure throughout its length. Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 2,859,475 shows an extrusion die for plasticized materials, wherein slidable orifice-closing members are utilized to adjust the width of the web to be produced. The width of the web produced by the die disclosed therein can be made in any dimension which is less than the maximum width of the orifice of the die.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide an extruder nozzle which extrudes its fluid in a relatively wide ribbon.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an extruder nozzle capable of forming a ribbon which is relatively flat across its entire cross section. A related object is to provide such an extruder nozzle which may be utilized for extruding fluids having adhesive or elastomeric properties.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an extruder nozzle which may be utilized to form a ribbon of alternative various thicknesses.
Still another object of the invention lies in the provision of a nozzle which is relatively simple in construction.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the drawings and detailed description of the preferred embodiments.
While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are described in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but, on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.